Category: kmiz-local-news

Erika McGuire

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

The Columbia Fire Department has purchased a software program that uses real-time data analytics to improve overall performance.

Earlier this year, the City of Columbia approved the software, known as Darkhorse Emergency, at an annual cost of approximately $44,000.

During a candidate forum last year, Columbia Fire Department Chief Brian Schaeffer expressed his vision of wanting Columbia to be at the forefront of technology, using artificial intelligence. That vision became a reality when the fire department started using the system in July.

“Darkhorse is a software program that integrates with our computer-aided dispatch and our records management system to take all of the information that’s out there in our system,” Schaeffer said, “inclusive of our calls of service, over the last five years and all the parameters: things like how long it took us to get there, or what the time of the day was, what the traffic, slowdowns were occurring during that specific time.”

Additional data, such as road speeds, road complications, speed bumps and system occurrences, are fed into the program, allowing the fire department to ask questions like where additional staff may be needed or where a new fire station should be built.

The program is monitored by the fire department on a minute-to-minute basis, Schaeffer said, and it helps make decisions for the future.

“Recently, with Station 5 and Station 10 and probably future Station 11, Station 12, as we continue to build, tax dollars are finite,” Schaeffer said. “Every dollar that we invest, we want to make sure that investment works for today, but it also works for 20 years from today.”

CFD is required to get an “A” rating or a 90% when responding to every single call, Schaeffer said. By using the Darkhorse program, the department can predict how changes, such as relocating fire trucks or increasing staffing at a station, will impact their overall rating. This allows for data-driven decisions that help maintain or improve performance standards.

Schaeffer said the department wants to hit its standards 90% of the time, and extra resources can help meet those goals in some parts of town.

Darkhorse Emergency can also highlight risk areas throughout Columbia.

The software looks at modifiers such as the low-income population, the population that is 65 and older, people with a disability and the number of children under 5.

Schaeffer used University Hospital as an example. It has a “very high risk” of needing CFD’s services — in the 97th percentile, Schaefer says.

Probabities are based on past patterns, he said.

The program also uses AI-generated projections for up to five years to determine the most effective locations for fire stations, based on current jurisdictional boundaries. The department can run scenarios like not having any existing fire stations in Columbia. The program will then identify locations for new stations using parameters provided by the fire department.

“The station [Station 2] would move a little bit to the south,” Schaeffer said.” But interestingly, Station 5 is in the exact same place. So when we looked at moving Station 5 because it’s 50 years old, it needed to be replaced.” We ran the Greenfield and lo and behold, we are in the right place based on current and future growth.”

Since beginning to use the Darkhorse software in July, Schaeffer says it has already made a difference at CFD.

“We’ve made assumptions on the performance of the system, and really, what we’re capable of, meeting our goals and establishing some levels of excellence that before we had tucked away as, ‘One day we’ll get to this,'” Schaeffer said. “Well, now we’ve got the ability to not only get to this, but model it and then take that information that we garner from that model or that scenario and put it on the street.”

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Nia Hinson

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

Workers from the union chapter LiUNA 955 are demanding better pay from MU Health Care, ahead of wage negotiations planned for later this month.

About three dozen workers gathered outside of University Hospital on Wednesday afternoon, with the hopes of making MU Health Care hear their concerns. According to union representative Andrew Hutchinson, workers are asking for wage increases, claiming some workers’ pay doesn’t align with the increased cost of living.

“They’re asking for their critical staffing pay of $2.50 an hour to be put into their base wage and for an end to poverty wages so everyone at the hospital makes at least $19 an hour and then just across the board, wage increases,” Hutchinson said.

According to Hutchinson, MU Health Care created a $2.50 pay increase tied to critical staffing during the COVID-19 pandemic. Some of those people included people who clean the hospital, sterilize surgical equipment and take out the garbage.

Hutchinson said the issue for these workers is that the pay is not included in their base pay and therefore can be taken away.

“It’s something that every couple of months they get an email saying ‘as a reminder this expires on this day. It may or may not be renewed,” Hutchinson said. “That’s been going on for five years. What that means is if you’re an employee who makes $16 an hour and $2.50 an hour of that is subject to disappear at a moment’s notice, that’s scary.”

Daryl Wieberg was one of the protesters who attended Wednesday’s rally. He’s worked in the maintenance department at the hospital for more than a decade. He says he began working for the company due to its benefits.

However, Wieberg said the wages some workers are paid now make it hard to have anything to look forward to as an employee.

“We supposedly get number one workplace type scenario, but it’s not in the service department because the service departments are well underpaid to the outside,” Wieberg said. “It’d be hard to find a new job and start all over, but you know it’d be nice to have that extra money and looking at people leaving, starting at the bottom of their pay scale is more than what I can make here now, so it makes you really consider doing it.”

The union’s negotiating team will meet with MU Health Care administration on Sept. 26.

MU Health Care spokesman Eric Maze told ABC 17 News via email on Tuesday that wage discussions had not begun, and no proposals had been made. Maze said on Wednesday that MU Health has consistently paid 2-3% annual increases since 2021.

Maze said an annual increase is planned to be paid again in January.

“We regularly review employee compensation and have several tools to ensure that pay decisions are made based on relevant job characteristics, such as job type and specialty area, as well as the employees’ education, experience and performance,” Maze said. “A market compensation analysis is performed annually each August to identify areas that need additional investment and wage adjustments.”

According to Maze, critical staffing plans are still in use and are reviewed every 12 weeks.

Matthew Hocker has also worked for the hospital for more than a decade, working as a housekeeper. Hocker gave a speech at Wednesday’s rally, claiming parking rates have doubled over the years, which is something workers have also included in their list of grievances.

The irregular work hours for employees also don’t allow them to use the shuttle system the university offers, Hutchinson said.

Hocker also said workers’ sick time is being dictated, claiming they’re being told they have to go through certain channels in order to be able to use it. Hocker said he’s found it difficult to get out of bed some days due to his frustrations and said he feels as though many of their complaints have fallen on deaf ears.

“They’re just ignoring us. They’re basically just saying suck it up and deal with it,” Hocker said. “I think that every single employee, including from housekeeper to up, needs to have a decent wage…and they need to go back to sick time, put it all in one pot and let us decide how we use our time.”

Rep. Gregg Bush (D-Columbia) also showed support at the rally, saying he started working as a janitor years ago and understands many of the hardships workers are going through.

“The only way we get through it is by being together,” Bush said.

MU Health Care made $45 million in its fiscal year 2025, according to previous reporting. Experts expect to see higher profits in the next fiscal year after a financial catch-up period with Anthem. The insurer and MU Health spent months without an agreement, though they eventually reached a retroactive deal.

The union and the city of Columbia reached a deal on Tuesday, following months of negotiations.

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Matthew Sanders

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

Audrain County’s sheriff posted on social media Wednesday that the arrest of a Marion County, Missouri, fugitive led to the large response in Vandalia the night before.

Sheriff Matt Oller wrote in the post that deputies got reports about a wanted man in the area of Home Street and Central Avenue in Vandalia late Tuesday into Wednesday. The man was later identified as Scott J. Adams, 41, of Bowling Green, wanted for a misdemeanor sexual abuse charge out of Marion County.

Law enforcement officers set up a perimeter and “methodically” searched it, Oller wrote.

Adams was arrested at Walsh Boulevard and Lincoln Street, Oller wrote. An MSHP trooper suffered a leg/ankle injury and was taken to University Hospital, though Oller didn’t give more details about the injury.

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Matthew Sanders

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A Hartsburg contractor is wanted by authorities on two felony charges for allegedly taking $10,000 from a customer and not performing the work.

Ryan A. Gilmore was charged Tuesday with felony stealing and deceptive business practices. He was not in the Boone County Jail on Wednesday.

Gilmore, under the business name Cameo Construction, took $10,000 from an Ashland man in 2022 for roof replacement, according to a probable cause statement. Gilmore never completed the work and did not refund the money, the statement says.

The state is seeking a $10,000 cash-only bond.

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Matthew Sanders

WASHINGTON, D.C. (ABC NewsOne)

A bipartisan group of House members, including Democrat Ro Khanna and Republicans Thomas Massie and Marjorie Taylor Greene, joined victims of Jeffrey Epstein in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday to push for more transparency over the case of convicted sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein.

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Olivia Hayes

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

Workers at the Shangri-La Dispensary in south Columbia are no longer unionized.

Union workers collectively negotiate with their employer for better wages, benefits and working conditions.

Workers fought to unionize at the south Columbia dispensary in early 2023. Workers told ABC 17 News at the time claimed the company retaliated against workers who were unionizing. Workers narrowly voted to unionize with the United Food and Commercial Workers in June of that year.

That representation ended last week, when the National Labor Relations Board accepted a petition to end union representation at the pot shop.

Ten workers settled labor cases and received back pay plus interest from the company in October 2023 after losing their jobs at the dispensary while trying to organize.

In a news release announcing the end of the store’s union, the National Right to Work Foundation said that the effort was led by dispensary employee Travis Hierholzer, along with his coworkers and free legal aid from the National Right to Work Legal Defense Foundation.

Hierholzer filed a petition with the National Labor Relations Board requesting a “decertification” election for the removal of the United Food and Commercial Workers Local 655 union. The release says Hierholzer’s petition was signed by nearly all of his coworkers at the dispensary. The filing triggered an election process to determine whether the UFCW would remain the dispensary workers’ exclusive representative.

Missouri is one of the 24 states without “right to work” protections, meaning union affiliation and dues payment are required from all employees working in a union shop. The news release said that Hierholzer and his coworkers were “forced to pay dues and fees to UFCW union officials or else be fired.”

The NLRB is the federal agency tasked with enforcing federal labor laws and assisting with disputes between employers, unions and individual workers. Workers can end their representation in an election administered by the NLRB if their petition gathers the signatures of 30% or more of their fellow employees.

An election never moved forward as the UFCW decided to remove itself as the dispensary’s representative.

Now that the union has been removed, union officials cannot impose dues on employees.

Nevil Patel, Shangri-La’s CEO, shared his support for his employees in a statement to ABC 17 News.

“We respect our employees’ decision to no longer be represented by a union, and welcome their direct input and engagement going forward. Shangri-La remains committed to fostering a safe, positive workplace with competitive pay and benefits for our nearly 300 employees nationwide,” the statement read.

UFCW Local 655 spokesperson Collin Reischman confirmed the union withdrew representation of the workers at Shangri-La. Resichman declined to comment further.

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Jazsmin Halliburton

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KMIZ)

The special session on redistricting kicked off Wednesday with a quick meeting at noon. Governor Mike Kehoe announced the special session last Friday.

Kehoe unveiled the first map to be considered by the General Assembly at noon Wednesday in Jefferson City. According to a press release, the new Missouri First Map:

Splits fewer counties and municipalities than the current map.

Preserves 2 congressional districts as currently drawn.

Retains every current member of Missouri’s congressional delegation in their current districts.

The state is caught in the middle of a national push to gain more republican seats in the House of Representatives to boost its slim majority. The goal for Missouri Republicans is to split up the mostly blue, Kansas City congressional district, which would give the GOP another seat.

Wednesday’s meeting was less than 10 minutes long. It was only long enough to gavel in, say a prayer, announce the next session and gavel out.

Rep. Elizabeth Fuchs (D-St. Louis) noticed the meeting didn’t have quorum.

After the meeting, Rep. Ashely Aune (D-Kansas City) sent a press release saying the meeting was illegal because of what Fuchs noticed.

Rep. Richard West (R-Wentzville) was in attendance Wednesday afternoon, and he said the meeting was a technical session meaning it doesn’t require a quorum.

Speaker of the House Jon Patterson (R-Lee’s Summit) has put together a redistricting committee, according to a press release. Rep. Kathy Steinhoff (D-Columbia) is a listed member of the committee.

West is also the chair of the redistricting committee, and the committee will meet Thursday at noon. Lawmakers will hear from the public, before they move into executive session and discuss the Missouri First congressional map.

Aune said the Democrats will submit a congressional map from 2022 that would give Democrats an extra seat in Congress.

West said the committee will take a look at it, but it’s not likely that it will make it out of committee because it’s not what the governor wants.

The move to redistrict has been met with criticism, with democratic representatives calling the move outrageous and illegal.

“Well, this whole thing is illegal, it’s disgusting and it’s shameful that this is happening,” Rep. David Tyson Smith (D-Columbia) said.

Splitting Jackson County would fundamentally alter the Fifth Congressional District, one of two represented by Democrats in Missouri. Emanuel Cleaver, who holds that seat now, said in a statement that “truth is under assault.”

Aune hand delivered a letter to the governor’s office right after the opening session, letting Kehoe know how she stands on the issue.

“This redistricting plan, as you are fully aware, deliberately attempts to dilute the voting power of Missourians in a shameful ploy to seize partisan power,” Aune wrote in the letter.

The Elections Committee will also meet Thursday. This committee will discuss initiative petition reform at 1 p.m.

Representative David Tyson Smith (D-Columbia) is on that committee.

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Nia Hinson

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

Some local pharmacies and health care providers are working to determine their vaccination protocols after new federal regulations limit who can receive them.

The Food and Drug Administration approved updated COVID-19 vaccines for the upcoming fall and winter season. The regulations now state that Americans will be required to get a prescription to receive a COVID-19 vaccination unless they are 65 years or older or have underlying health conditions that put them at risk.

Healthy children under age 18 will be able to receive a COVID-19 vaccine after consulting with their health care provider, according to ABC News.

In a statement sent to ABC 17 News Tuesday afternoon, MU Health Care said it is still finalizing any changes.

“We are still finalizing our vaccination protocols as we await guidance related to recent policy change,” the statement said.

Boone Health did not immediately provide a response.

ABC 17 News spoke with a pharmacist at the Walgreens located on East Broadway who said anyone under 65 or who does not have a health condition will not be eligible to receive the shot without a prescription.

The CVS Pharmacy on Bernadette Drive said children under 12 will need a prescription.

According to Kilgore’s pharmacist, Bill Morrissey, the pharmacy is still waiting on guidance and clarification.

Board President of the Missouri Immunization Coalition, Lynelle Phillips, said the United States is already having trouble with vaccination rates, and the new restrictions aren’t going to help.

“The other concern is, for instance, I have a husband who qualifies for the vaccine and will likely get it, and I don’t. So even if he gets the vaccine, if I go out and catch COVID while on campus or whatever and bring it home, then the vaccine is not 100%,” Phillips said.

According to Phillips, in public health, the goal is not only to vaccinate high-risk people, but also to make sure people they are in close contact with are vaccinated as well. The new restrictions are something she fears will no longer allow that to happen.

Phillips also said the restrictions could become problematic for pregnant women.

Physicians can prescribe to people who don’t fit a certain category based on the drug label, referred to as “off label.” However, Phillips said there’s a possibility of liability in those cases.

The new restrictions also mean some Americans may now face out-of-pocket costs when receiving the vaccine.

“The child vaccines are all covered by the vaccine for children program, but now COVID is not being recommended for children, so they won’t be covered, which means they’ll have to use private insurance to become vaccinated,” Phillips said. “I don’t know how insurance companies will feel about that. It’s the same for adults. People might have to pay out-of-pocket if they really want it, and we have enough trouble promoting the COVID vaccine as it is, let alone asking people to fork out cash for it.”

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Katie Greathouse

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A man wanted for multiple crimes in Mexico, Missouri, was arrested in Illinois on Tuesday.

According to a press release from the Mexico Public Safety Department, investigators responded to the 1300 block of N. Washington St. on Aug. 24 for an incident involving a gun. Police were told Montrel Burton, 33, took a handgun from someone else, pointed it at them, and fired a shot before leaving the area. No injuries were reported.

Police said an arrest warrant was obtained for Burton for first-degree robbery, unlawful use of a weapon, armed criminal action and unlawful possession of a gun.

Authorities notified the Jacksonville Police Department in Illinois that Burton may be in the city. Jacksonville police found Burton at 11:30 a.m. on Tuesday. He allegedly ran into a home but later came out and was arrested.

Burton is being held in the Morgan County Detention Center in Illinois until he is extradited to Audrain County.

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Mitchell Kaminski

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) 

After months of wage negotiations, the city of Columbia has reached a deal with local union LiUNA 955 to implement new pay adjustments. However, the union says it still has concerns about the agreement. 

The deal includes a 3.5% raise for the roughly 300 city workers LiUNA represents. All eligible members will receive a 2% increase at the start of the 2026 fiscal year, followed by an additional 1.5% increase on Jan. 18, 2026.  The agreement was authorized by the city during Tuesday night’s city council meeting.

LiUNA 955 union representative, Andrew Hutchinson, says that members voted to ratify the deal by a “massive margin.” However, they still have several concerns that were not addressed. 

“I think there are still some significant concerns about a significant amount of our members making under $19 an hour, under a living wage,” Hutchinson said. “We’re hopeful that we can get that addressed later this year or next year. But for where we are right now, this is a step in the right direction.”

Negotiations began back in April. Hutchinson claims that the city entered the first of six bargaining sessions offering a 0% cost-of-living adjustment. In July, union members later criticized the city for responding with a 1% cost-of-living adjustment, citing low pay and the city’s heavy reliance on outsourcing. 

“We as Missourians in our Constitution have the right to collective bargaining, and when one side of the table says zero and you have six negotiation sessions, and they continue to say zero, it’s a lot of wasted time for both sides,” Hutchinson told ABC 17 News.  “It’s upsetting that we had to sit and waste taxpayers’ time, waste our union members’ dues and time on getting to  where we should have been from the beginning, a 3.5% percent raise.” 

The two sides also had discussions about trying to reduce the level of outsourcing. According to city records, Columbia spent a combined $8 million on outsourced fleet maintenance during the last two fiscal years.

Hutchinson also pointed to the city’s temporary labor contracts, over $1.25 million combined for 22nd Century Technologies Inc. and PeopleReady Inc. during 2023 and 2024,  as evidence of misplaced priorities.

“When the city says ‘we don’t have money for raises’, I think the big argument that we were making was when we don’t get work done, when our members don’t get work done because we don’t have enough staff to do it, that work doesn’t go away, it still has to get done,” Hutchinson said. “What ends up happening is that we have outsourced, and it’s a low estimate,  but we think  conservatively we’re spending about $5 million a year on outsourced work,  and that’s removing all the capital improvement projects, even the small ones that we think we could handle.” 

Columbia City Manager De’Carlon Seewood previously defended the city’s use of outsourcing, citing both cost efficiency and the challenge of maintaining services with current staffing levels. He also emphasized that outsourcing has not been used to cut city jobs. 

Under the new agreement, no additional steps were added, meaning that employees who have topped out on pay will not get full raises this year. Under a step-rate compensation structure, pay raises are associated with each position and increase incrementally over time. 

“It is a concern.  I mean, we’re not happy about it,  but that’s where we ended up,” Hutchinson said.  “The city  was trying to scrimp and save, and again, you know, when you start from 0%, we know that we didn’t get everything that we wanted,  but we went up until we knew that our raises would be delayed after the fiscal year.”

ABC 17 News reached out to the city of Columbia for comment.

Other Updates From City Council 

Columbia Council Passes Utility Fee Increases

The Columbia City Council approved a 2% utility rate increase, a move that will affect both energy and demand charges for customers. City officials estimate the adjustment will generate an additional $300,000 in revenue.

Parking Fees Under Review

The council also revisited the issue of downtown parking fees, which have seen little change since 2013. The only adjustment in the past decade came in 2015, when rates increased by just $0.10.

Currently, downtown drivers pay $0.60 per hour plus a $0.55 transaction fee. On the University of Missouri campus, the rate is $1.00 per hour with the same $0.55 fee. Some city staff expressed concern that the added charge may be pushing more students to park downtown instead of on campus.

To address the issue, the city is proposing to set both downtown and campus parking at $1.00 per hour with no additional fees. While campus rates would remain unchanged aside from dropping the $0.55 surcharge, downtown parking would see a clear increase.

Nickie Davis, executive director of The District Downtown, urged the council to postpone the decision, explaining that her board had not been informed of the proposal and wanted time to consult with other community leaders. The council unanimously agreed to table the vote until its Sept. 15 meeting.

The delay raises questions for city budget planners, as projected revenue from the parking changes is already factored into the proposed budget.

Looking ahead, officials are also weighing a shift away from traditional parking meters. Under consideration is a system of block-based kiosks for cash payments, paired with expanded reliance on the ParkMobile app, which requires less maintenance than individual meters.

Bus Fares Suspended For Sixth Straight Year 

GoCOMO bus riders will be token-free for another year after the Columbia City Council approved another year of suspended bus fares at Tuesday’s City Council meeting.

GoComo Transit has operated fare-free since 2020. 

Transportation operation costs that were adopted for fiscal year 2025 were over $7.8 million in the City of Columbia’s budget. Both the council memo and the city’s Public Works Public Information Specialist, John Ogan, report that the city is able to manage expenses through federal and state grants, sales tax funds, and other sources like the University of Missouri.

However, Columbia is planning on adding fares as soon as next year. 

The city wants to make new fare boxes so it can reinstate fares in 2027. City staff estimated that installing the fare boxes will cost $250,000.

New Ordinance for long-term parking at Columbia Regional Airport

The city council also passed an ordinance that would require travelers who plan to leave their vehicles at the Columbia Regional Airport for 30 days or more to complete a form before traveling.

The form would include the vehicle’s make and model, where it will be parked, and the expected time the traveler plans to be gone.

Airport officials say this will help them monitor long-term parking and ensure vehicles parked at the COU airport are associated with travelers and travelers only.

The parking lot at COU holds 1,100 parking spaces and is free for travelers.

United Airlines is joining COU with three additional flights, after a four-year hiatus. The airline will offer two flights to Chicago and one flight to Denver. The first flight will take off on Sept. 25.

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